This is the live webcam link at Millbay Docks in Plymouth with 17 hrs to go!!

http://www.youtube.com/user/AmericasCup#p/l/e7LgMTlTygg

yes.......guess what....it's here......................it's time for....................................

Below are some of the shots taken this week on the water in Plymouth Sound. 

We've had thrills, spills, capsizes, boats almost on rocks. the winds have risen - it's going to be hairy sailing by the seat of your pants stuff tomorrow!!

Here are some of the shots by Ricardo Pinto (copyright Richardo Pinto 2011)

My city is making history this week...for the first time in 160 years, the America's cup is returning to the UK!! We host the new look world series second leg. It culminates in San Francisco in 2013.

Nine 45ft catamarans capable of speeds up to 35 mph and they will be reaching that in the next few days as the remnants of Hurricane Irene batter our western shores.

Whilst there will be plenty of action on the water, there is a festival village on the Hoe. A big screen will relay live images from onboard cameras so you can see what crews see. there is a stage for local music bands and gigs which will run throughout the day and evening. racing begins at 14.00 tomorrow!

copyright ACWS

They are saying these boats are 'space age technolgy' with a 'wing' mainsail that towers 20m above the 'deck'.

The 'wing' can drive the boat in light winds at three times the speed of the wind........I think I understand that! The wing design creates lift like an aircraft wing and this lift pulls the boat along

weather report for tomorrow

Anyway here are the stat's. The hull is 13m long and maximum width is 21m. with centreboard down, draft is 2.7m and displacement is 1400 kgs. The wingsail area is 85 square metres and the gennie area is 125 square metres. The jib comes in at 40 metres (square).

After Plymouth this coming week, the show packs up and heads south for the Panama canal and a journey up to San Diego, concluding in Newport Rhode Island. Inbetween will be two visits to Venice (lucky Venice). There is speculation that Auckland might be another possibility as well.

And that is it. Tomorrow I'm into Plymouth early to get a parking space , a breakfast and a stroll around the Hoe before finding my pitch/location. I'll take a seat with me, Camera and binoculars and try to get some good pictures capturing the action and atmosphere. Next weekend, well I'll take Arwen out to a spectator area and try and get some shots from the water as the boats pass

Steve 

progress on 'Stacey'

the all important logo badge

We've done a little more work on 'Stacey'. 'We' is number one son and me and 'Stacey' is my son's 1971 motovespa 125 super restoration project which he 'sweet-talked' me into getting off ebay! 'Stacey' very occasionally interlopes into 'Arwen's' blog but Arwen doesn't mind. She's happy to occasionally give blog time to 'Angharad' the canoe and 'Stacey' the vespa!. 

We'd like to say that we know exactly what we are doing in this restoration but, frankly, that would be a BIG, FAT lie! We have no idea what we are doing and make it up as we go along!

'Stacey's' engine has been has been remounted. We had problems with the exhaust and at the moment we've attached the one end to the swing bar using a 'U' clamp for a car exhaust as an alternative to cutting and welding the new shiny chrome exhaust.

shiny FACO exhaust and white wall continental tyres

We've remounted the engine compartment side panel, adding a new locking mechanism and pivot bushes. The engine has a shiny new chrome flywheel shield, new manifold and new rear shock absorber.

chrome flywheel cover and we actually stripped that engine, split the cases and replaced all seals, bearings etc

Then there is the new leg feet, new running strips on the floor and the new badge logo on the front legshield.

new floor runners and rubber inserts

We've used the old CDI unit which seemed to be working fine before we started stripping her. There is also a new kickstart (the old one was beyond restoration) and a new junction box (the old one was missing).

refurbished glove/tool box

this is not the original..........that we know

And that is it thus far. We are being very careful not to crack the paint as we tighten down bolts.

new kickstart and reconditioned engine compartment hatch.....

with new silver latch catch as well

hidden in the gloom........new exhaust down pipe, new rear shock absorber and the existing CDI unit (blue box)

new metallic paint job as well

hell to touch up if we scratch it....and we have in one place! urgh!

Next is the wiring and here we have a problem! Well several actually! We bought a new wiring loom which came with a detailed wiring plan. We've managed to identify some of the different ends of the 'spider web' of wiring...but there are one or two ends we just cannot work out where they go because they don't actually appear on the wiring plan. Not only that, but the wires that come out of the stator .....well they don't seem to fit in with the loom. Confused?  You have no idea!!!!

i think I've got these worked out

but will someone please tell me where these two go?

Steve

we are counting down

Boats have been out and about training.......I'm stuck in school unable to catch up with them. I love my job but just occasionally I'd like to be elsewhere.......like Plymouth Hoe.  Go to these links to catch up with the Plymouth leg of the America's Cup videos.....

http://www.americascup.com/

http://www.americascup.com/en/Latest/Gallery/2011/9/As-seen-in-Plymouth/

http://www.americascup.com/en/Latest/Gallery/2011/9/ACWS-Plymouth---Capsize-Club/

http://www.americascup.com/en/Latest/Gallery/2011/9/ACWS-Plymouth---Sunday-Report/

copyright boating World

I want to enter the competition to win a sail on an AC45 next Thursday with one of the crew - but sadly teaching commitments prevail..............so dream on Steve.........

I can't wait for Saturday...this is going to be awesome!  All being well weather wise I will try to get Arwen out and on the Sound next weekend for the end of series races and do a blog update from the water, anchored in one of the designated spectator areas with some video footage. Four days to go; four days to go!!

Steve

things are hotting up..........

Well - there are some BIG marquees assembling on the Hoe! There are two AC 45's swinging at their moorings in Millbay Docks. There was a party in full swing in one of the team tents with reggae music drifting out across the water.......very mellow I must say.  And there is still a week to go!

this could be the world's longest marquee

casual party in full swing

America's Cup fever is beginning to take hold in Plymouth. It seems every street light has flags off it advertising the event. I spent some time watching some guys assembling an array of aerials on some of the team tents on the Hoe.

everything is self contained

140 shipping crates offloaded, each with a specific purpose

terrific planning!

 I'm told that this America's Cup will be fundamentally different to anything that has gone before. The electronic wizardry that will accompany state of the art TV coverage is pretty impressive. Continuous positioning of the boats to an accuracy of two centimetres...yes two centimetres! And that is 50 times a second!

There will be umpires in booths ashore to monitor positions of each boat and this will be radioed to umpires on the water who will be attached to each boat - chasing them on 350 hp jet skis. I read somewhere that TV graphics will show precisely in real time the buoys and the three boat lengths zones around each one.  Apparently, all the crews are experiencing AC 45's for the first time and crews say they are faster, fun to sail, and need instant decision making on the part of crews.

Of course, I'm thinking of entering the next America's Cup. They are looking for dinghy sailors!!!!!  The move from slower keel boats to rocket like multi hulls requires some of the skills demonstrated by the very best dinghy sailors (Oh I wish!!!).  The sheer physical effort needed to sail these catamarans from a crew of five, calls for very fit and agile sailors.  

 Each race lasts 30 minutes and someone told me that the heart rate of each crew member is over 150 bpm, peaking to 175 bpm for the entire 30 minutes. Each boat has a 'coach boat' which brings them high energy drinks and bars etc at end of each race.

Gosh, I've just realised.....I'm a real lazy sailor in Arwen!!  Except in times of close proximity to rocks, rather large waves and malfunctioning outboards, I don't think my heart rate whilst aboard Arwen gets much above comatose!

Roll on next weekend!!

Steve

bits and pieces

We've been working on our 1971 motovespa 125 super, affectionately known as 'Stacey' by my 15 yr old son, although he becomes somewhat evasive and coy when you ask him 'why 'Stacey'?'.

new white wall tyres, new chrome flywheel protector plate; new kick start

We've refitted the stator plate and flywheel, hopefully eliminating the rubbing noise; we've eliminated the rather nasty oil leak from the rear hub (don't ask us how we have no idea but it has stopped). We've fitted the new flywheel protector and the rear wheel hub, tyre and exhaust.......and that is now where we have a problem.

the new chrome flywheel protector only just seems to clear the flywheel!

The gap between the rear tyre and the exhaust fitting seems terribly , terribly small - about a centimetre and that isn't with the tyre fully inflated.  It just doesn't seem right; also the joint between the exhaust and exhaust pipe needed packing out with gaskets and gasket sealant - because it didn't quite join up.

the clearance between that exhaust fixing bolt and the tyre is about a centimetre - too close and tyre isn't inflated........SO HOW DO WE FIX THE EXHAUST? could we use jubilee clips?

awfully close!

gap between rear wheel and exhaust side seems ok!

messy but tight....will it suffice?

nice new faco shiny chrome exhaust but with troublesome fitting on left hand side.

a round bar off the exhaust slides (with some tapping!) into a bracket which is attached to main engine arm via a bolt.

And what about boat stuff.......well they are progressing on setting up the America's Cup village - boats are being off loaded as we speak. School starts again tomorrow but after school I'll pop down and see what further progress has been made

copyright isails

Some of the stuff offloaded and unloaded from the container ship

each of these tents goes with one particular team

And here are some pictures of boats I've caught up with during the summer...............

It's been a good summer....didn't quite get the sailing I wanted done. Dad and I missed out on our camping trip aboard Arwen due to apalling weather......so we'll book that one in for next Easter!

Steve